Arbitrum Foundation Launches Grant Program for Agentic DeFi Development

TL;DR

• The Arbitrum Foundation has officially launched Trailblazer 2.0, a one-million-dollar grant program aimed at supporting smart DeFi projects built using Vibekit.
• Each proposal can receive up to $10,000 if it demonstrates real-world utility.
• Priority will be given to tools that bring value to the ecosystem, such as templates for complex strategies, mini-applications for Farcaster, and analytics systems for automated agents.

The Arbitrum network is taking a major step toward the future of decentralized finance with the rollout of Trailblazer 2.0, an ambitious funding initiative designed to accelerate the development of intelligent agents within the DeFi ecosystem. Backed by a total fund of $1 million, the program targets developers working with Vibekit, a new modular framework created by Ember that allows for building highly efficient autonomous agents on Arbitrum.

Smart Agents Unlocking Arbitrum’s Full Potential

Trailblazer 2.0 is focused on functional solutions that generate real impact. Proposals can range from agents that execute profitable DeFi strategies to open-source and templates that can be reused by other developers. Integrations with external tools that extend Vibekit’s capabilities will also be highly valued. Notably, protocols like GMX, Aave, Pendle, and Camelot are already integrated with the framework, enabling the creation of applications with low costs and high speeds.

Projects such as Hyperbolic, Trendmoon, and Eliza have already started working within this environment, and new applications will be able to join progressively. Those interested can also explore the Ember reward board, where they can directly contribute to specific ecosystem tasks and be rewarded for their participation.

Open Collaboration to Propel the New DeFi Era

Submissions that stand out for their innovation or expand the functionality of Vibekit—such as backtesting systems, trading history visualizers, or P&L (profit and loss) calculators—will be prioritized. The program also encourages the development of miniapps within Farcaster that make use of agentic strategies.

This new phase reinforces Arbitrum’s vision as a leader in DeFi infrastructure by providing tangible opportunities for independent developers to transform technical ideas into real, accessible solutions. By championing open and collaborative technologies, the foundation fosters a more agile, competitive, and opportunity-rich ecosystem, for both users and builders.

With Trailblazer 2.0, Arbitrum reaffirms its commitment to a future where automated agents not only improve the efficiency of decentralized finance but also make it more inclusive and creatively driven.

Furthermore, by integrating tools like Allora and Playgrounds, the door is opened to a more dynamic environment where automated intelligence can be accessible even to developers without prior AI experience.